Other people’s problems make personal stress look dumb

General Manager/Editor Ron Schott

Last Wednesday was a stressful day for me.
I felt like I was going nonstop after waking up early, doing manager reports, making newspaper deliveries, training, print jobs, internet uploads, and so much more.
Then while my crazy day kept forcing me to go through more obstacles, everything was put into perspective after learning about the death of a former school mate.
Baltimore County officer Jason Schneider graduated one year before me and I graduated with his brother Kenny at North Carroll High School in Hampstead, Md.
According to multiple media reports, he was serving a high-risk warrant as he’s done many times during his 13-year career.
People inside a home began to run away as soon as officers entered. Schneider was shot several times as he turned the corner. He returned fire as he fell and killed one of the suspects.
Schneider’s vest stopped several rounds but unfortunately one round traveled underneath his vest, hitting him in the back.
The story of his death was reported by the national news outlets and a large funeral service was televised by television networks in Maryland.
His death hit my hometown pretty hard and his family has been on my heart, as well as the heart of other classmates, since last week.
A moving YouTube video of his funeral procession can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWpZflkYFDE
All of us get extremely busy with life and can be overwhelmed by the stress.
Then events like this happen and it puts everything into perspective.
No matter how busy each of us get or how stressful things seem to be, there is always someone out there having a more challenging time than your own.
My challenge to all of our readers is to put your stressful time into perspective.
It’s important for all of us to take a deep breath, deal with things head on, while maintaining a level of compassion for others who are going through even more difficult times.